Leading Classic competitors Neal Bates and Jeff David both revealed at the recent National Capital Rally that they will miss the next Round of the ECB ARC, the Quit Forest Rally in Western Australia, to instead focus on the Otago Rally in New Zealand.
The Otago Rally has drawn massive support in recent years amongst the region’s leading classic competitors, including Bates who won the event on his maiden visit last year. The event also attracts legends of the sport from overseas, last year Miki Biasion competed, and this year former Toyota factory driver Didier Auriol is on the entry list.
Bates, the runaway winner on last year’s Otago Rally, said: “It’s not 100% confirmed but it’s something that we’ve been contemplating very strongly since we took victory there last year.”
“I think the attraction, apart from the incredible roads, is the depth of the classic competition over there. They’ve (the classic competitors) been doing it for a lot longer in New Zealand, so they have a lot of really strong cars and drivers.”
“It’ll happen over here (in Australia) too but it’s going to take a lot longer to get up to the same point as you see in New Zealand,” added Bates.
Bates confirmed that his plan, once the Otago Rally is out of the way, is to compete in as many East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship Rounds as possible.
“We don’t have a firm plan as yet, it all depends on funding. But I’d definitely like to do as many as possible, or more specifically as many as we can afford to do,” said Neal.
Meanwhile Jeff David, whose Porsche 911 is a regular spectator favourite, said that the chance to return to New Zealand to compete against some of the region’s fastest Classic competitors was an opportunity to good to pass up.
“The roads over there are amazing, easily some of the best roads in the World, so to have to chance to compete on them is one that is very hard to pass up,” David said.
“The stages are fast and flowing and smooth and that really suits our car, I can’t wait,” he continued.
Both Bates and David are planning on resuming their ECB ARC campaign at the third Round of the series, the International Rally of Queensland, held from the 20th to the 22nd June on the Sunshine Coast.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
